LeaderShip

TaylorJackson
Itismybeliefthatleadershiphasnothingtodowithseniority,orhowmuchyougetpaid,or
mabyevenifyoureinchargeofagroup.Tomethereisagreatdifferencebetweenleadingagroupof
peoplethroughaprojectorobstacle,andbossingthemthrought.Oneofthemisattheleadshowingthe
way,andtheotherissittingonachariot,beingpulledalongcomfortablywhileshoutingdirections.
Itismybeliefthatanyone,anyage,race,gender,orreligiousaffiliation,canbealeader,ora
greatoneatthat.Unfortunatelyitwasmadetobelievebyourancestorsthataminority,orafemale,or
someonewithadifferentvieworstylecannotbecomealeader,orsomeonewhocannotmake
importantdecisions.Youseesomeofthequalitiesofagoodleaderarehonesty,theabilitytodelegate,
communication,confidence,responsibilityandcommitment,theabilitytoinspireothers,creativity,
intuition,andabitofhumor.Idontthinkthatanyofthisisrestrictedtoonegroupofpeople,infact,
anyonecanhavethesequalities,makingthemeligibletobealeader.Anditstruenoteveryoneis
goingtobeagreatleader,somearebornwithitandsomearent,butwhostosaythatyoucantbea
goodleaderifyouworkhardandtry.

GrowingupIwasextremelyshy,Iwouldnttalktoanyone,andanyonethatIdidtalktowas
someonethatIknewverywell.BecauseIbouncedaroundschoolswhenIwasyoungerIneverhada
setgroupofpeoplethatIcouldbearound.Ialsohadfamilyproblemsthatrenderedmeanxiousand
depressedattheageof7.NotrealizingthatthiswasaproblemIstayedquietintheclassroomandout
oftheclassroom.Iwasscaredtotalk,answerquestions,orbeinalargegroupdiscussion,theonly
thingthatIcouldreallyeverhandleinagroupwasstorytimeontherainbowrug.
AlthoughIwasshyafterbouncingaroundlikeapinball,Iwasfinallyinoneplacelongenough
tofeelfullycomfortablewithmyselfandothers.Thishappenedtobein5thgradeatStonerPrairie,I
wasinafourthfifthsplitwithMrs.FreeseandMrs.Peterson.BecauseIhadalreadybeenintheclass
andnewmostofthepeoplethatweretheremyqualitiesstartedcomingoutmoreandmore.Iwas
comfortablewithchoosingapartnerforwork,Ispokeupmorewhenansweringquestions,andIliked
togouptotheboardtofixproblemswhenweweredoinggroupwork.AlthoughIwasstillandanxious
anddepressedchildIwasstillabletosomewhatgetthroughelementaryschool,whiledeveloping
peopleskills.
WhenIhitMiddleSchoolIwasextremelynervous,IplayedhookiealotandIneverwantedto
gotoschooleveryagain,alotofitwasextremelynewtomeandIstilldidntunderstandthatIwasan
extremelysensitivechildthatneededabitofhelptransitioningintoanewenvironment.AlthoughIwas
abletocalmdownandfitinafterafewmonthsaswellasfindnewfriends,Iwasstillmisunderstood
byalotofmyteachers,theyseemedtonotcareaboutwhoIwasorwhatIwasinterestedin,and
usuallyseemedtobeannoyedwheneverIwoulddomybesttoanswerquestions.Ormaybethatwas
justme,andmyanxietytalking.
DuringmyMiddleschoolexperienceItriedtojoinafewclubsandbeapartofateam,
Basketballandskiclubwastwoofthose.ButmyconfidencewasstruckdownwhenIhit8thgradeand
IdevelopedaPsychogenicConversionDisorder,orwhatIcallaPCD.Alotofkidsdidntbelieveme,
ormydoctors.ButtheykepthappeningandIkepthavingtheseoddseizuresthatnoonecouldexplain.
Thishurtmebad,myconfidence,mytrustinpeople,allofitwasgone.

MyfreshmanyearinhighschoolItalkedmore,IhadseizuresbutIpoweredpastit.Allofmy
teacherswereextremelysupportiveandhelpedmethroughalot.Iwasgivenmorechancestospeakout
andIwasencouragedtovoicemyopinion.ThiswaswhereIreallyblossomedinschool.Ihadgood
friendsandgoodteachers,andalthoughIdidhaveatonofdramamyfirstyearIstilltriedtostayon
trackwithschool.WhenIhitmysophomoreyearItransferredtoanewprogramcalledExploration
Academy.ItwasextremelyweirdformeandatfirstIhatedit.
Theprograms,thenewideas,thewayeverythingwassetup,thelimitationsinclasses,alotof
thisreallyupsetme,anditevenpissedmeoffalittle.Iwasntunderstandingwhereallofthiswas
comingfrombutIrealizedthatIwasntgivinganyofitachance.IwasscaredtohaveanadvisorthatI
metwithweekly,andIwasntsurethatIwasgoingtobetoogoodatconductingmylearning.Butit
reallydidntturnouttobethatbad.Italkedtopeople,Ipresentedprojectstotheschool,andIwas
reallyreallylikingwhereIwasat.Iwasabletohelppeoplewhentheywerefeelinglost,Ieven
presentedaprojectofmineatastudentshowcaseinvolvingmyrats,Iwasabletogetupandsharemy
passionswithoutbeingafraidofpeoplenotlikingit.ThisyearIwasevenallowedtoshadowatavets
officeandgetintotheYouthApprenticeshipProgramfortheVeterinaryTechnologypart.Ittookmea
longtime,butInotonlylearnedhowtoleadandhelpothers,buttobealeaderformyself.Sohereare
afewthingsthatIhavedonethatIwouldsayrequiresleadership.

EAAmbassadorsexperience
WhenIstartedouttheschoolyearIdecidedthatIwantedtobeamentorfornewExploration
Academystudents.Becauseofthisdecisionitleadmetotheambassadorgroup,oracommitteeof
studentsthatgetstogethereveryotherweektotalkaboutdifferentthingssuchasstudentexperiences,
waystoimproveourcommunity,aswellastalkingabouthowtoprepareforupcomingstudent
showcases.OverallitsnowmyjobasheadoftheAmbassadorstocommunicateconversationsfrom
sitecounciltothestudentsandmakesurethateverythingiscirculatedcorrectly.ITisalsomyjobto
runthemeetingsaswellascreatinganagendaandguidingtheconversations.

SiteCouncilexperience
IamastudentrepresentativeforExplorationAcademyonsitecouncil,ateamofparentsand
staffthatmeetsmonthlyaboutEAandplansdifferentevents,fundraising,andmarketing.ThereIsitin
ontheconversationandgivemyinputorbringstudentsconcernstothetable.

Speakingexperience
Ihavehadmultiplespeakingexperiencesindifferentplaces,butalladvertisingExploration,
usuallyIget5to10minuteswithmyselfandotherstospeaktothosethatareinterestedaboutwhatits
likeinExplorationandhowithashelpedmeasalearner.Ihavespokenfromasfewasindividualsto
groupsatatime.

MyroleinFFA
AlthoughIdontdotoomuchwithourschoolFFAIdotakealotoftheagriculturalclasses
andItakeplaceinsomeoftheeventsandcompetitionsthatourchapterisinvolvedin.ThisyearIwent
totheworlddairyexpo,participatedinagriculturalclassesSuchasVeterinaryMedicineandwasa
teacher'sassistantfortheadvancedveterinaryclass.Iwasalsoapartofafewdifferentjudgingteams
andhelpedwith

MyroleasaTA
ThispastyearaswellaslastyearIhaveTAdfortwodifferentclassesintheAgricultural
Departmentofourschool.LastyearIhelpedtomanagetheschool'sgreenhouseandhelpkids
understandhowtogrowplantsandhowtomakesoils.ItwasextremelyimportantthatiftheTeacher
wasevergonethatIwastheretohelpmanagewhatwentoninthegreenhouseduetomanysubstitutes
notreallyknowingwhatwasgoingon.Ialsosupervisedtheuseofthesoilshredderandthesterilizing
equipmentandshowedstudentshowtousethem.
ThisyearImaTAfortheAdvancedVetScienceclass,IsupervisetheAnimallabandhelp
studentsgettheirchoresdonefortheanimalsaswellasteachingthempropercaremethodswhen
caringfortheanimals.Ialsohelptheteacherwithdemonstratingwithdifferentlessonsaswellas
helpingthemtobemorecomfortableandconfidentwiththeanimalstheyareworkingwith.

GreatLeadersinHistory
AlexanderTheGreat
KnownasthemanwhoConqueredtheWorldAlexanderthegreatisknownasthe
greatestmilitaryleaderofalltime.Bornin356BCtoKingPhilipthesecond,andQueen
Olympiaitalmostseemsasifhewasbornintogreatness.Withtheteachingsofhispersonal
tutorAristotle,hewasleadinghisfirstcompanioncavalrybyage18.Duringthistimehe
wasabletohelpaidhisfathertohelpdefeattheThebanandAthenianarmies.Whenhe
was20yearsoldhisfatherdied,leavinghisarmyandthekingdomofMacedoniatohim.In
hisrulinghebroughttogetherthecitystatesofgreece,conqueredPersia,Asiaand
Babylon,leadinghimtorulethem.Alexanderwasanamazingmilitaryleaderbecauseof
severaldifferenttraits,courage,honesty,bravery,intelligence,hisabilitytocommunicate,
anddelegate.Allofthesetraitsarethoseofaleaderthatallowedhimtobecometheman
thatConqueredtheWorld.

AsokaTheGreat
AsokawastheemperoroftheMauryaDynastyandruledoveralmostalloftheIndian
subcontinent.Originallyhegrewupasaviolent,bold,youngman,somestoreyseventell
ofhimkillingalionwithonlyastick.Hisolderbrothersfearinghim,toldtheirfathersto
appointhimasageneralinafarawaystronghold.Howeverwhenhefoundouthis
brotherssawhisasathreathewentintoexilefortwoyearswherehefellinlovewitha
commoner.AftertwoyearsofthisshepassedawayandAsokaendedupcomingbackto
takehisthrone,somestoriessayhekilledallofhisbrothers,somesayheonlykilledafew.
Afterhisfirst8yearsofleadingraidsandwagingwaragainstothercountriesandstates,
therewasonebattlesceneinparticularwherehiswholeoutlookwaschanged.That
happenedtobeinKalingas,thehomelandofhissecondwife.Thedeathanddestruction
thathadlaidbeforehimmadehimsickandcausedhimtochangehisways,leadinghimto
becomeAshokatheGreat.
Inhischangeofwayshevowedtocareforhispeoplelikeafather,toalloftheplaceshe
attackedheofferedmedicalattentiontopeopleandanimals.Heurgedpeopletobecome
vegetarian,andcreatedalistofendangeredanimalsthatweretobeprotected.Huntingfor
sportwasbanned,aswellasburningdownordestroyingtheirhabitats.Thisnewfound
affection,compassion,andabilitytofixhismistakessethimapartfromotherleaders,and
trulymadehimagreatone.

WinstonChurchill
WinstonChurchillfirststartedasgovernmentministerin1908,andservedasaprime
ministerforatotalofnineyears.Althoughhemadehugemistakesduringhispolitical
careersuchaswhathappenedinGallipoli,theBlackandTaninIreland,andhissupport
intheuseofpoisongas,heputBritainbackontothegoldstandard,seemingtohelpbring
aboutthegreatdepression,andsaidsomeprettyracistthingsaboutGandhi.Althoughall
ofthiswaswrong,anddefinitelynotgreatleadership,hisperformancewithWW2was
definitelyrenowned.During1951to1955heleadtheBritishForceswiththehelpoftheUS
todefeattheNaziparty.Hiscountlessspeechestothepublicrosemorallandallowed
otherstostayconfidentandkeeptrustinhim.GoodfriendswithTrumanandRoosevelthe
alsohelpedtoplanawaytolimitJosephStalin'sabilitytodominateEuropeanaffairs.

Gandhi
Gandhisuccessfullywasabletoleadnonviolentprotestsagainstracism,moral
degradation,colonialrule,andexploitationormoraldegradation.Althoughhewas
hesitanttospeaktothepublichispassionforfindingthetruth,andstandingforwhatwas
morallyrightdrovepeopletohimlikefliestohoney.ToGandhitheSpiritofserviceand
sacrificewasthekeytoleadership,buthisbravery,integrity,fearlessness,andhismorals
reallysethimapartfromothers.GandhiwastrulyaclassicexampleofLeadership,and
one'sabilitytoleadagrouppeacefully,andwithoutmoralwrongdoing.

NelsonMandela
NelsonMandelawasanamazingmanthathadalotoftraitsthathelpedhimtobecomea
greatleader.Courage,Sacrifice,Wisdom,andoverallhishumanityallowedhimtowork
througheventhehardestoftimes.Mandelawasbornin1918toatopadviserofaRoyal
tribalfamily.InhisyouthhehelpeddeveloptheYouthLeagueoftheAfricanNational
Conference,whichwasoutlawedbytheirgovernment.InspiredbyGandhitoleadpeaceful
protests,hetriedhishardesttokeepthepeace,butbecauseofhowharshthegovernment
wasitdrovehimtosabotageevents,leadinghimtogettingarrested.Althoughthe
PresidentofSouthAfricaP.W.Bothaofferedhimfreedomifherenouncedhisways,he
kepttruetowhathebelievedin.Afterhalfadecadeofbeinglockedaway,moreandmore
peopleprotested,hewassuddenlyreleasedunconditionallyandsoonrosetobecome

presidentofSouthAfricain1994.Unfortunatelyhepassedin2013duetolungconditions
thatweredevelopedinhisyearsofconfinement.